Reformation
by Moose Blood
Summary: The story of a rogue. A murderer. A loner. And a hero. Victor, a cat forced to flee from his home, must answer a cry for help from a strange, ghostly cat with stars in his pelt... But what he is asked to do is almost impossible... and only made harder when his past threatens to overtake him. Rated T for language and violence. Summary may change.
1. Prologue

**Before Reading: This is my first fanfic ever. So. Yeah. May or may not suck. I have to warn you, the first couple chapters are kind of slow. It'll pick up around the 5th or 6th chapter, I swear. Still, it would really help if you read and review it. It really helps me out a lot!**

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The wind howled in the night and the rain came down hard. It flooded the thunderpaths of the city, almost two mouselengths under water. The paths were empty, no monsters roared through them. Most upwalkers sheltered in their dens away from the chaos outside, safe and warm in their nests. Completely unaware of the small gray cat speeding down the middle of the path. Ignoring the rain pounding down on his pelt, the cat ran on, breathing heavily, yellow eyes fixed ahead. Suddenly he veered off into an alleyway, where the weather wasn't as harsh between the tall brick walls of the upwalker dens. He crept deeper into the shadows until he reached the corner of an upwalker waste-bin that looked like it hadn't been used in years. Beside it lay a large box, tired and stained but still intact. The cat approached the opening.

"Rose?" He meowed, his throat dry and voice raspy from lack of use. "Are you still here? Are you alright?" A pair of amber eyes glinted at him through the darkness of the box. A deep purr followed.

"Mark..." The cat in the box, Rose, mewed. "You're back! It's been moons!" She leaned forward into the moonlight enough for Mark to make out here pale brown face and white muzzle. Her fur was matted, and she obviously hadn't been eating enough, but he knew he must have looked just as bad. Living in the city will do that to you. Especially during winter, when prey is scarce (Well, scarcer) and BloodClan takes most of it anyways.

"I know." Mark replied. "I didn't intend to be away so long... I'm sorry. SkyCl-" He cuts off mid-sentence as he spots two small furry shapes curled up beside her. "Is that...?"

"Our kits." Rose purred."They were born three moons ago... "

"I'm sorry I wasn't here," Mark whispered as not to wake the kits. "It must have been hard..." He shifted uncomfortably and moved closer to Rose. "So... have you named them?"

"No," Rose said. "I'd been waiting for you. So we could name them together."

Mark purred and studied the kits. The larger of the two was a dark brown tom with broad shoulders. His breathing was rhythmical and he slept peacefully.

"He looks tough," Said Mark. "We should give him a strong name. How about..." He thought for a moment. "Hunter?"

Rose nodded. "That's a good name." Her gaze moved to the smaller kit, a small pale gray tom. His breathing was unsteady and he stirred constantly in his sleep. "What about him?"

"How about Mouse?" Mark suggested. "It suits him..."

"No," Rose said flicking her ears, irritated."We should give him a name that will give him strength, for good luck..." She looked back down at the kit, now awake. His pale green eyes peered up at her sleepily, trying to focus through the darkness.

"Victor." She whispered."My little champion."

"That's a good name..." Mark purred, although his eyes were still glued to Hunter."They'll go far."


	2. Chapter 1

Victor awoke to a paw prodding his side. It had been less than two moons or so since Mark had arrived.

"Come on! Mark said he's going to take us hunting!" Victor looked up, not yet fully awake, to see who had spoken. His brother, Hunter, loomed over him. He was shaking from anticipation, excitement radiated from his pelt. "It'll be our first time going out of the alley!" Victor groaned and peered out of their makeshift den, an old box. It was still dark out.

"I'd rather not." Victor said, moving closer to his mother laying beside him. She was just beginning to wake.

"Why?" Asked Hunter. "It's gonna be fun! Besides, what else are you gonna do?"

"Lay here and sleep." Victor replied. He hadn't slept well that night; He never did. He would constantly jolt awake or stir in his sleep, but the rest of his family learned to ignore it. He'd grow out of it, his father would say. He tilted his head up and peered out of the opening of the box. "It's early. Can't this wait until later?"

"No." A gruff voice hissed. Mark had appeared at the opening of the box, his yellow eyes glowed in the dim light. "If we wait, other cats will have already gotten a head start. We need to go now before it's too late and the prey starts to hide." His looked at Victor. " Hunter and I can handle it ourselves if you're not feeling up to it."

"Aw, no," Hunter complained, his head spinning back to face his littermate. "You have to come! I don't want to just leave you here!"

"Victor," Rose spoke up. "It'll be a good experience for you and your brother to learn how to find food. It's a good way to see the city as well." She leaned down and gave him a quick lick on the ear. "You can't stay in the den forever." Victor purred and stood up, although his legs wobbled feebly at first under his weight, and walked over to his brother. Hunter was a good mouse length or two taller than him.

"Yes!" Hunter said. "This'll be great!"

"Okay," Mark said. "Go and, uh, wait by the corner. I need to talk to your mother alone for a second." They both obeyed and padded to the corner of the alley, the farthest they'd ever been from home. Mark turned to Rose and sighed. "I'm afraid BloodClan is expanding. Fresh kill isn't as easy to come by nowadays, with those damn upwalkers populating more and more of the area. It's harder to hunt when you have them to worry about, with their monsters and their dogs scaring off prey... Eating upwalker scraps just won't do," Mark continued. "We need live prey. BloodClan has a lot of mouths to feed, they need more territory, and I've seen them placing scent markers closer and closer each day. Almost ran into a patrol a quarter moon ago, near the Rat's Alley."

"So," Rose sighed. "What do you suppose we do?"

"We should just go." Mark said. "Avoid any future conflict. There's no way in hell we could fight them, and I don't think they'd negotiate."

"We can't just leave without knowing where we're going," Rose replied. "The kits wouldn't be safe with all the dangers that lurk within the city, it could take moons to find another place as safe as this is." She stopped. "As safe as this _was._ They still haven't trained, or even been more than a few tail lengths from home. They don't know what to expect out there!"

"That's why I'm taking them out now, to start to get them ready." Mark said. "But I think Hunter could handle it. He's tough enough."

"But what about Victor?" Rose countered. Mark was silent for a time. Rose sighed again. "Mark... we can't just forget about him. He isn't the strongest, but he's only a kit after all. I think we have some time before BloodClan gets too close us... By then _both_ the kits will be more experienced."

"...Alright." Mark said. "I'll give it two moons. But if before then they threaten us, if they come within a whisker of our territory, we flee. No matter the cost..." He straightened up. "Agreed?"

Rose hesitated. She thought about what that meant._ No matter what cost... _It meant more than just losing their home. But seeing no other option, she had no choice but to agree. "Okay. We flee. But we wait it out first, two moons. Maybe we can get through this." Mark still looked doubtful, but nodded. With a last look over his shoulder to Rose, he padded down to the corner where his sons waited.

"Can we go now?" Hunter Begged.

"Of course." Mark said and began to lead them around the corner into the next alley. Victor paused a minute.

"What you and Rose talked about," Victor said slowly. "Is something... wrong?" Mark stopped and turned to face him, his face stoic.

"No." He hissed impatiently. "Now stop stalling. We need to move quick and be quiet. Can you handle that?"

"...Yes." Was all Victor said. A knot formed in his stomach. He knew Mark had lied. He saw the way his mother had looked at him as they left.


	3. Chapter 2

"What _are_ these?" Hunter asked as they turned another corner, his tail motioning to the tall brick dens of the city."They're everywhere, but I've never really thought what they were for."

"Upwalker dens." Mark replied, his pace was slow as he crept through the shadows. His pawsteps were quiet, ears angled forward, always alert. He stopped and waited for the two kits to catch up. They both moved fast, but their pawsteps were small. Hunter quickened his pace, but Victor still lagged behind.

"Upwalkers?" Hunter said, eyes widening. "How big _are_ they?"

"Very large." Mark called back impatiently as he waited again, still tail lengths in front of them. "Alright, now up ahea-"

"Do they have sharp claws?" Hunter interrupted, curiosity overwhelming him. "Long fangs? Are they fast?"

"We're never going to catch any prey with all these questions!" Mark spat. Hunter finally caught up with Mark, Victor dragged his paws behind them.

"Oh, but that's my last question I swear!" Hunter pleaded.

"Tell you what." Mark growled. "Hunt first. Then I'll _show_ you what an upwalker looks like. There are few around here, but I can show you once we get deeper into the city. Alright?"

"Really?" Hunter asked. "Great! Can't wait!" Satisfied, Hunter continued quietly as they turned into yet another alley, trying to be as focused as his father. It didn't last very long. Looking back, he noticed Victor still far behind him. He realized his brother had been silent the entire time they'd been walking. Hunter slowed down to match his speed. "Hey, you alright? You've been pretty quiet."

"I'm always quiet." Victor replied.

"Not like this," Hunter said, his tone sounding more concerned. He studied him and tilted his head. "Something on your mind?" Victor paused. He thought about telling his littermate his suspicions about what their parents had talked about. It really bothered him how Mark was so quick to dismiss it. But, he didn't want to worry Hunter, and after all, he wasn't even sure of what they had said meant anything important.

_But that look..._ Victor shook his head. "I guess I'm just tired, you know?" Hunter nodded, but kept his gaze on Victor, eyes narrowed. Hunter was about to say something else, but suddenly Mark stopped and motioned them forward with his tail.

"There's an alley up here," He whispered. "Usually it's full of prey. But be warned, other cats may already be hunting in this territory, so stay alert and be very quiet." The kits nodded in understanding. "Follow close." Mark stalked forward, keeping low. The kits copied his movements. He approached the corner not making a sound. He took a look into the alley, smelling the air. He straightened up and flicked his ears. "Cats have been here. But the scent is stale. It's safe." The kits padded up beside him and studied the area. It was dark, with boxes and upwalker waste scattered around, like most of the city they'd seen. But it didn't seem as... lifeless, or desolate to the kits. Mark pricked his ears and turned his head."Watch what I do."

Mark got down into a hunters crouch. He unsheathed his front claws and started to take small steps towards a pile of upwalker waste. His tail moved back and forth slowly, but he never let it reach the ground. He didn't move for a time.

"What is he...?" Victor started, giving a questioning look to his brother. Hunter kept his eyes on Mark.

"Shhh," He whispered. "Watch." Victor turned back in time to see Mark pounce. He landed on top of the pile, his claws disappearing into the mess. When they came back up, something small struggled in his grasp. With one quick movement of his paw, it went limp. Carrying it in his mouth, he went back to the kits. Up close they saw it was a mouse. "Wow!" Hunter said, eyes shininng with admiration. "Can we try now?"

"Fine." Mark said. "Let's move down, though, I think I might've been a bit too loud up here." He hid his kill under a peice of upwalker scrap, then continued to lead the kits down the alley. He motioned them to stop. "Now I want you two to close your eyes and listen, but _do not make a sound." _He hissed. They both did as they were told. "Now angle your ears forward. What do you hear?" Hunter tilted his head. Victor strained his neck forward. All was silent... except...

"Something's scratching..." Hunter whispered, opening his eyes. He looked to where the sound was coming from, beside an overturned box. His amber eyes narrowed, adjusting to the darkness. Several taillengths away, between a box and a peice of scrap, he could just make out something small, gray, fuzzy... "I think I see a mouse..." Hunter bunched up his muscles, getting ready to pounce, his instincts taking over.

"Wait, Hunter," Mark hissed. "Be silent... Raise your tail, balance yourself. Widen your stance. Focus, judge the distance... Take a few steps if you have to... Claws unsheathed... Now put all your power into your back legs, pounce when you're ready..." Hunter didn't hesitate. He sprang forward, claws outstretched, and landed square on his target. The mouse struggled, squeaking loudly, as it tried to get free.

"Uh, uh, what do I do now?" Hunter said nervously, trying to keep his grip. "I-It's slipping!"

"Bite it's neck!" Mark yowled. "Kill it!" But before Hunter could do anything, the mouse escaped his claws and started to run. "Dammit!" Mark cursed as it scurried away. It didn't get too far. Mark lunged forward, and before it was more than a tail length away he pinned it down. His jaws closed around its neck, there was a snap, and it went limp in his claws. He turned to Hunter. "It was a good first try. Your crouch was spot on, but you hesitated too long to kill it. We'll work on it." He turned his attention to Victor. He still sat in the same spot... eyes closed... head down... "Victor! Wake up!" Victor jerked awake, his eyes wild.

"Ah! Sorry!" He started. "W-what happened?"

"You missed your chance." Mark said disapprovingly. His neck fur bristled. "What do you think you're doing? You can sleep when we're done!"

Victor looked down, unable to meet his fathers gaze. "Sorry... I could try again..." He said. Mark shook his head. "No time. What we've caught already is enough. Besides, all the prey here has probably gotten scared off from the ruckus we've made." He turned and started walking back where they had come. Hunter picked up the mouse and gave his brother a guilty look.

"Sorry," he said through the mouse's fur. "I should have seen you and woke you up..."

"Not your fault," Victor said. He looked over to his father picking up the mouse he had killed earlier.

"He'll get over it." Hunter told him. Victor sighed doubtfully. They walked beside eachother to where their father stood. Mark turned back to them.

"Now," he called back. "I believe you wanted to see some upwalkers."


	4. Chapter 3

"Keep up!" Mark yowled. Victor stumbled, gasping for breath. Hunter's breathing was just as short, but he continued to run forward. Mark was leading the kits through a maze of upwalker dens and alleys, he twisted and turned around corners with ease. As for the kits, they struggled to follow him. Hunter ran a few taillengths behind his father, muscles burning but not enough for him to stop anytime soon. Victor was last, the only thing that kept him going was the fear of disappointing Mark again. After their hunt, they'd left the fresh-kill hidden beneath an upwalker box and started to make their way through more of the city. As they advanced, both kits were awe-struck at how many sounds, smells, and sights there were that they hadn't experienced before. Unfortunately they were moving too quickly to study their surroundings very well.

"Why... are we... running... so fast?" Hunter asked Mark between gasps.

"We're way outside our territory now!" Mark called. "Any cat could attack us, and with good reason!" He started to sprint faster, the kits pushing themselves to do the same. They were just about to turn into another alley.

"I... haven't... seen.. any other... ca-" Victor started, but was cut off when he tumbled into Hunter. His brother had come to an abrupt stop behind Mark. Mark was bristling, eyes wide, his head facing down into the next alley. He was completely still, his mouth agape.

"No..." He hissed to himself. "They can't have already passed thunderpath..." Hunter tilted his head.

"What's wrong?" He asked. Mark narrowed his eyes but kept his gaze locked on the alley, expression hard as stone.

"Kits," Mark said, his voice strangely calm. "I want you two to remember this scent." Victor and Hunter both inhaled deeply. A strange smell came from the alley. It was like upwalker waste, but mixed with cat scent and... and...

"Is that _blood_ I smell?" Hunter asked, his paw raised to cover his nose. Victor's eyes widened, but he didn't say anything. He stepped around his brother and made his way past his father, ignoring his warning not to look, and peered around the corner. His heart stopped. Hunter padded up next to him and screeched in alarm. The kits had never seen anything so horrible. Liquid crimson covered most of the alley. It smeared the brick walls, red paw prints marked all around the area. Teeth, claws, and tufts of fur lay scattered around the chaos. What disturbed Victor and Hunter the most were the two cats piled in the center of it all, limp and lifeless in a pool of their own blood... or at least most of it must have been theirs. One was mostly gray with dark gray splotches, the other was white with a dark blueish puple collar, now stained half red. They were covered in deep cuts and bite marks, matching gashes on their necks. The gray cat was cut down from neck to stomach, insides visible. The other was missing its eyes, mouth stretched open in a silent yowl.

"Smokey and Violet..." Mark hissed. "In their own fucking territory... What the hell did they ever do to deserve this?" He shook his head, more out of anger than grief or sadness. Hunter couldn't handle the sight of something so gruesome. He ran back a few taillengths to be sick. Victor, however, couldn't look away.

"Who did this?" He whispered, barely audible for Mark to hear. Mark didn't answer until Hunter, shaking and facing away from the alley, returned.

"BloodClan." Mark growled. "A gang of cats that take whatever the hell they want. Be it prey, territory... lives... I want you two to remember this scent." He repeated. "If one day you ever come across it again, and I guarantee you will, I want you both to _run._"

"Why did they spread the blood everywhere?" Victor asked. "On the walls, the floor..." Mark looked down to the small kit.

"You have a morbid curiosity..." he said, then turned back to the carnage. "They do this to send a message."

"Damn," Hunter said, eyes shut, fur bristling. "What kind of message are they trying to send? Who the hell to?"

"Watch your language, Hunter!" Mark scolded. "This is their way of telling other cats that they're strong, and not afraid to kill to get what they want. Fill up their enemies with fear so they're less likely to fight back."

"Message received..." Hunter whimpered.

"A simple talking to would've been fine." Victor said. All the while his eyes never left the two mutilated bodies. Mark looked at him and noticed this, and an uneasy feeling crept into his pelt.

_It's probably nothing, _he thought. _He's_ _just shocked. He doesn't know how to react. He has a different way of dealing with this kind of situation._ But the way his eyes studied the scene with such interest still made Mark nervous. "Let's keep moving. We're too close to Upwalker Place to stop now. Let's, uh... take the long way." He started walking past the alley they'd paused at. Hunter followed, glad to get away from the blood bath they had seen. Victor took one last glance over his shoulder as he followed his father forward. The pace was much slower now, the mood not rushed, but more melancholy. The silence between the three cats didn't make anything any better. After a while, Mark spoke.

"We're getting close," He said, flicking his ears. "It's really loud now." Hunter looked around, turning his head in all directions.

"What is?" He asked. Everything sounded normal to him. Victor adjusted his ears to listen to any changes, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Just the normal beeps and grinding noises the city usually gave off. But now that he thought about it...

_Huh._ Victor thought. _It__ does seem to have gotten louder now._ He'd never really paid attention to the noise. It never meant anything to him... it was just there. He studied the sounds more closely, breaking it down. There were loud beeps, as always. A strange roaring noise that was beginning to hurt his ears the more he focused on it.

"You don't...?" He shook his head and sighed. "You two grew up with it. It's just background noise to you, huh?" He lashed his tail. "You two _would _notice if you'd ever heard real silence... but this city never seems to rest. No matter, it shouldn't be a bad thing." He started to pick up speed. "Just two more turns." Looking up, Hunter did realize something different. The sky seemed to open up, getting wider and wider...

"There aren't as many upwalker dens up here," he said, turning to his father. "Wouldn't it make more sense for upwalkers to be _c__loser_ to their dens?"

Mark shrugged. "Upwalkers are weird." He came to a stop at the next corner. "Now before we turn, remember to stick to the shadows, behind boxes, under upwalker waste... I don't want either of you being seen. Not by other cats, not by upwalkers, nobody. Understand?" The kits nodded, and Mark proceeded to turn around the corner. The kits kept low and followed. Hunters eyes widened.

"Woah..."

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**Authors Note: So... things got gory. I was thinking of cutting that part out... But it'll come up later in future chapters. And it gets even more disturbing. Sorry. I'm very messed up. And language. Yeah. Also, I apologize for stopping at such a random spot, but I felt like this chapter was dragging on and decided to cut it in two. Chapter 4 might be a bit shorter, maybe 800-900 words. Thanks for reading. -MB**


	5. Chapter 4

"What... what are those things?" Hunter asked, his pelt bristling. At the end of the alley, past a pile of upwalker waste leaning up against the left wall, it opened up into an even larger area. A long, flat black path ran down the middle, thinner tan paths on either side. The sun seemed to shine brighter, not blocked out by the huge upwalker dens that crowded most of the city. What really grabbed the kits' attention, though, were the creatures that roamed the paths. Sprinting left and right through the middle of the darker path were giant creatures that glistened in the sunlight, their pelts unnatural colors of green, blue, yellow, and red. They growled and screeched, filling the air with their fierce cries. Walking on the lighter and smaller paths were beings that stood on their hind legs, with long forearms and flat, furless faces. Their pelts, like the creatures, were a variety of colors, but hung loosely of their bodies. Directly across from the three cats, beyond the chaos, was another line of tall upwalker dens and alleys.

"My God..." Hunter breathed. "This is insane..." Mark, however, didn't seem phased.

"This is the thunderpath." He said. "On the tan paths, walking on two legs, are upwalkers. On the black thunderpath are the monsters. Upwalkers use them to get from place to place."

"How?" Hunter asked, curious. Mark turned his attention to him.

"They ride inside them." He said. Hunter still looked confused. Mark sighed. "You see, there are these side entrances on the monsters that open up..." As Mark further explained about monsters to Hunter, Victor was slowly descending down the alley. He remembered what his father had said and kept low into the shadows. He wanted to get a better look at the thunderpath, or more so, what was beyond it in the other alleys. But as he approached the edge of the tan path, the large pile of upwalker waste that had been slumped up againt the wall fell over with a CRASH. A dark figure jumped out at him, hissing, and started stalking towards him. Panicked, Victor turned and fled towards the thunderpath. By then, the crash had alerted not only Hunter and Mark, but some upwalkers as well. They turned to see what had caused the disturbance, most surprised to see a small grey cat running out of the shadows.

"Victor!" Mark yowled. "Stop! Goddamnit, stop! Get back here!" But it was too late. Victor had already in the middle of the thunderpath. The kit looked around, and suddenly realized where he was. He also realized a monster, roaring furiously and eyes slightly glowing yellow, was headed straight for him. Victor wanted to run, to get away, but he was too overwhelmed and scared, his legs wouldn't work. He closed his eyes and waited for the monster to attack... but it never did.

Instead, Victor heard a ear-splitting screech, then the deafening sound of metal scraping against metal. He cautiously opened his eyes and looked around. The monster that had been closing in on him before had swerved clashed with another monster going the opposite direction. Both their pelts were bent and broken, clear, sharp objects scattered the ground. A fire soon arose from beneath one of the monster's muzzles, filling the air with smoke. Upwalkers were either rushing to aid the creatures or trying to get as far away as from the flames as possible. They all ignored Victor as he ran back into the alley, dazed.

"Idiot!" Mark yelled, running up and grabbing Victor by the scruff. "Are you bloody insane!?" Mark growled through his son's fur. He ran down the alley with the kit in his jaws and didn't let him down until they were around the corner and out of sight. Hunter hung back a few taillengths. "We could have been taken, or killed!" Mark scolded. Victor's ears went down.

"That cat..." he said quietly. "I-it was going to attack..."

"What are you talking about?"

"You didn't see...?"

"See what? Why would you run _right for the fucking monsters!?" _Victor didn't say anything. "Next time you won't be so lucky." Mark growled. He turned from Victor and walked farther down the alley. "Let's go." He called back to the kits. Victor followed with his head down. Hunter caught up and walked beside his brother.

"You alright?" He asked.

"Yeah..." Victor replied, his voice still a little shaky. "Did... did you see it?" Hunter tilted his head. "The cat. The one that came out from the upwalker waste..." Hunter shook his head.

"No," he said. "I just saw the waste fall down and you run into the thunderpath. You sure there was a cat there? It could've just been a bag or somethin'."

"...Well," Victor sighed. "I am pretty sleep deprived. Maybe it was my imagination." Hunter nodded and they continued following Mark in silence. Victor tried to convince himself that he was being ridiculous, that there was no way that his father and brother could have missed something like that. _Yeah,_ he thought, growing calmer. _And that cat's scent... it couldn't have been BloodClan. I'm sure a lot of cats in the city smell like that. It's all in my head..._

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**Author's Note: I am terrible at explaining the setting of this chapter. And describing what people and cars look like from a cat's point of view. Will work on it. Oh, and, uh, I know things have been kind of slow... But in the next chapter, I promise I'll get this story moving along! **


	6. Chapter 5

A black she-cat wearing a brown collar spiked with dog teeth and claws padded through a group of upwalkers. They surrounded the wreckage of the two monsters' earlier collision. None of them had taken any notice of the cat, too distracted yelling and trying to pull another upwalker out from inside one of the broken creatures. The cat ignored them, and kept walking on confidently, almost strutting. When she had reached the alley on the opposite side of the thunderpath, she began to sprint. Her dark pelt seemed to become one with the shadows, her green eyes glowed in the dark.

She had only taken a few turns through the city until she had reached her destination. In an alley that was slightly wider and longer than others, there stood a large, green, metal upwalker waste bin. Scattered around the rest of the alley were boxes of different shapes and sizes, laying in piles up against the brick walls, and rusty silver upwalker cans. Upwalker waste littered the ground, and flies swarmed above them. As the she-cat approached the waste bin, cats appeared out of the shadows, eyes glinting in the darkness. A few were wearing similar studded collars.

A large tom climbed out from beneath the upwaker waste bin, his thick, dark grey and black pelt covered in scars (Most noticeably a long cut down his left flank) and yellow eyes piercing. He was wearing a collar as well, decorated with teeth, claws, and a few bones. It looked to have once been blue, but somehow had stained dark red over time. He purred at the black she-cat's arrival.

"Tarpelt." He greeted her, his voice deep. "I trust you found something worth reporting on your patrol." Tarpelt dipped her head.

"Yes, Gravelscar." She replied. "I spotted a few cats across the thunderpath. It seems more cats live there than we first thought. That means there must be a decent amount of prey." Gravelscar nodded.

"Alright." He said. "It is decided." He turned around and, in one giant leap, landed square on top of the upwalker bin. "All cats old enough to fight their own battles, join here beneath the waste bin!" He yowled. A number of cats grouped below him in response, all varying in size, color, and age. They looked up to him expectantly. "As some of you may have noticed, upwalkers have been crowding much of the city lately. Not only does this make it harder to find food, but places to live as well."

"We already know that!" Called out a red tom nearest to Gravelscar. His ribs showed through his pelt, his amber eyes menacing with hunger. "How could we _not_ know? You have the senior warriors on double hunting patrols, and we still only get enough fresh-kill to feed half the clan!"

"Calm down, Redscrap." Gravelscar hissed. "Listen to your leader." Redscrap mumbled something else under his breath, but it was too low for anyone to hear. "We will be expanding past the thunderpath." Gravelscar continued. Cheers broke out among the cats.

"What if there is no prey?" Asked a brown tom, his left ear torn. "What if there are cats who won't give up territory unless we fight? We're to weak for a battle! Not now!" Gravelscar looked at him.

"Relax, Splitear." He said. "Tarpelt went on patrol and spotted other cats. If they can survive there, we could too. But," he threw a glance toward Redscrap. "We only fight as a last resort. We are no longer a savage clan. Not under_ my_ leadership."

"What're you looking at me for?" Redscrap asked innocently. "_I_ think you've proven yourself a good leader over the last few days. Who cares is Ripplescar originally wanted me as deputy? Your new guidelines are, in my opinion, really helping the clan. You know I killed those rogues only because they were attacking, and I needed to defend myself... and my clan. I am a loyal warrior of BloodClan, and my leader's word is law." A few cats around Redscrap snickered at the last part, but Gravelscar seemed not to notice.

"Good." He replied. "Then I trust you can go on a patrol to set new borders without getting into trouble." Redscrap nodded.

"You have my word." He said. "Who else is going?" Gravelscar studied the group of cats.

"Tarpelt, as deputy, you lead. Take Redscrap, of course, Deadweed, Splitear..." He paused. Searching the crowd, his eyes landed upon a small cat sitting at the edge of the group. His pelt was mainly ginger, with white paws and a white stomach. His eyes were light blue, and he was wearing a black collar without a single tooth or claw. He looked to be about five or six moons old. "And Smallpaw."

"What?" Called Redscrap, outraged. "That _kit_ has only _just_ been made an apprentice! Shit, Gravelscar, I think we have stronger warriors that could come instead!" Smallpaw looked down and flattened his ears.

"Is my word not _law_?" Gravelscar asked mockingly, challenging the scarlet warrior to argue. Redscrap was silent. "I thought so. I trust my apprentice to do well on his first patrol. And we need warriors here to hunt and look after the sick. Besides, you're not fighting, are you?" The two cats glared at each other. Tarpelt broke the silence.

"When do we leave?" She asked.

"Now." Gravelscar said. "No more waiting. We need to do this as soon as we can. And remember... _No fighting unless you absolutely must._" Tarpelt nodded. She walked down to the corner of the alley where she had come, the four other chosen cats following close behind. They had to take a long way around to the other side of the thunderpath, which by then was crawling with loud monsters and upwalkers cleaning up the wreckage. When they were finally on the other side, far from BloodClan, Redscrap stopped.

"Alright, Tarpelt," He said. "This is far enough." He stepped in front of her and blocked her path.

"Wha-?" She hissed, but before she could finish Redscrap advanced. He stretched out his front paw, claws unsheathed, and swiped at her neck. Four large cuts appeared almost immediately, blood poured from her throat. She stood still for a few moments, her mouth open in shock, staring at the crimson drops that fell on the pavement. Then she coughed up blood, her eyes glazed over, and her legs crumpled beneath her. She was still. Smallpaw took a few steps back, horrified.

"W-wh... what?" He whispered to no one in particular.

"Hm." Redscrap mumbled. "Good riddance."

"N-no!" Splitear wailed, eyes wide. "What have you done!?" He went over to Tarpelt's body, but knew she was already long gone. He turned to Redscrap, pelt bristling and green eyes full of anger. "I'll fucking kill you!" He ran towards Redscrap, but just then a heavy paw came down on his back, pinning him down.

"Shut up," A gruff voice growled. Looking up, Splitear saw his attacker. It was Deadweed, muscles rippling under his dark brown and black pelt. "Unless you want to die a slow and painful death... I suggest you keep your mouth shut about this to our oh so _wonderful_ leader..." His dark blue eyes danced with amusement as Splitear squirmed beneath him.

"That goes for you too, _kit._" Redscrap spat, looking at Smallpaw. Smallpaw said nothing, just shrank back and stared. "Tarpelt was a weak deputy. We're better off without her. If Gravelscar asks, we were attacked by rogues and she didn't make it." He turned back towards where they were originally traveling towards. "Now let's set borders _my_ way." Deadweed laughed and let go of Splitear. He stood up but didn't move, just stared and Redscrap.

"You're a monster." Splitear spat. Redscrap laughed.

"As of now, _I_ am your _leader_. And you do as I say. Let's go claim some territory." He started walking, Deadweed following close behind. Splitear, defeated, did as he was told and followed as well. Smallpaw was last, eyes wide and still not fully comprehending what had just happened. "And we will fight." Redscrap continued. "Spilling blood is always necessary if we want these rogues to respect us." Smallpaw shuddered.

* * *

**Author's Note: AND THE PLOT THICKENS! ...Sort of. I wonder who their first encounter will be in this new territory... yeah, _what a mystery! :/_ A bit rushed, I kind of thought about this scene on the spot, and it got long. I dunno. I felt like it was necessary. Thanks for reading. -MB**


	7. Chapter 6

It was getting dark as Victor, Hunter and Mark finally returned to their den. Mark and Hunter carried the prey they had caught earlier, Victor trudged behind them. Rose was waiting for them at the entrance of the box. When she saw them approaching, she immediately ran over to greet them.

"Welcome back!" She said happily. "Hunter, did you catch that mouse by yourself?" She asked, impressed.

"Sorta." He said through the mouse's fur. Rose gave him a questioning look, and he put his mouse down to explain. "I have yet to learn how to kill a mouse... Mark had to give it the killing bite." Rose chuckled, then looked to Victor. She noticed he was looking at his paws, a guilty expression on his face. She guessed it was because he hadn't caught anything. She walked over to him.

"Don't worry," She said reassuringly. "You'll get better at hunting with time." She gave his ear a quick lick. He nodded, but his expression stayed the same. He opened his mouth to speak, paused, then closed it again. Before Rose could ask what he was about to say, he turned and padded into their den. _Strange,_ she thought._ What could be bothering him?_ _Hunter didn't seem too excited about his first mouse, either... _She watched Hunter pad after his brother, dropping his kill as he went. She turned her attention to her mate, concerned. The expression he gave her was grave.

"We need to leave." He whispered, so the kits couldn't hear. "Smoky is dead. Violet, too. We are _not_ waiting this out." Rose gasped.

"W-what?" She said, her fur starting to bristle. "No... Why would they...?" She shook her head, trying to make sense of what she'd just heard. "How can we leave now? The kits..."

"They'll be fine." Mark said. "Hunter can catch prey just fine, and Victor..." He cut off there and sighed. "I still think we could do it. It'll be hard, but we can travel somewhere else." Rose nodded and touched her tail to her mate's flank.

"I trust you." She murmured. "I go where you go." Mark purred. "When should we leave?" Mark tilted his head and thought.

"Morning." He said. "The kits need their strength."

"Alright," Rose replied. "But do you think-" She stopped suddenly. Her eyes widened.

"What's wrong?" Mark asked. She hushed him and adjusted her ears to listen down the alley. Mark did the same. _What's that sound?_ He wondered. _It sounds like..._ He gasped.

It sounded like claws scraping the pavement.

Somebody was coming. And fast.

He turned to get the kits, but Rose was already there. The kits were confused, but didn't argue as she herded them out of the den, urgency clear in the way she moved. The sound was getting louder. Closer. Mark thought he could hear voices and panting. "Come on!" He growled. "Let's go! Let's go!" But as the kits were just stumbling forward behind him, four shapes appeared at the end of the alley.

* * *

Redscrap's heart was beating fast. He could smell the scent of cats, not far. He sprinted, his patrol following close behind him.

They turned a corner.

They were getting close now. He could feel it. Smallpaw was breathing heavily at the back of the group, but Redscrap didn't slow. He unsheathed his claws.

"Think we're getting close?" Deadweed asked. Redscrap nodded. He could hear voices now. In the next alley.

Around another corner.

Splitear was next to him now. Redscrap turned to him. The brown warrior's eyes were full of anger. Redscrap leveled his gaze with his, daring him to say something. He was silent and broke eye contact, falling back beside Smallpaw. Redscrap snorted and continued forward. One more turn.

There.

Four cats. A large grey tom with a black marking on his neck, a brown and white she-cat, and two kits. They all turned towards the approaching BloodClan cats, bristling. Redscrap raised his tail to his patrol to slow. He narrowed his eyes.

"Good evening." He greeted, but there was no warmth in his voice. "I am Redscrap of BloodClan. Who are you?" The grey tom lashed his tail.

"Cut the bullshit." He hissed. "We know you want our territory. Well, you can have it. Just leave us alone and we'll go, we don't want any trouble. We have kits for god's sake." The tom's response surprised Redscrap, and he mrrowed with laughter.

_Who is this cat? _"Yeah, your right. We want territory. But we can't just let you go." He scoffed. "We have a reputation to keep, yeah? We can't just go soft all of a sudden 'cause you have kits." Redscrap looked pass the grey cat to the she-cat and kits. "And we need your blood to mark our territory." The two kit's eyes widened. He started stalking towards them. Deadweed followed, baring his teeth. Splitear froze, not wanting any part of the situation.

"Move it, Splitear, or you die with the rogues." Deadweed growled. He didn't have to say anymore. Splitear followed, ears down. Smallpaw hung back, but the warriors didn't notice. The grey tom narrowed his eyes and stood in front of his family defensively.

"Come any closer and you're _dead._" He hissed. His claws were unsheathed now, and his lips pulled back in a snarl showing two rows of sharp teeth. Redscrap hesitated for half a second, then he flicked his ears.

_He's bluffing. He wouldn't risk the lives of his mate and kits. _Redscrap took a couple more steps forward, and in a flash the rogue turned, picked up one of the kits, and fled with his mate carrying another. They headed down the alley towards the smaller thunderpath that ran through that part of the city._ Thought so. _"Let's go." Redscrap ordered. He started to run after the four cats, his patrol running behind him.

_No mercy._

* * *

**Author's Note: The layout of the city is clear in my head, but I'm not sure if other people understand it... Uh, does it make sense to you guys, or should I explain the setting better when I write?**


	8. Chapter 7

Victor wasn't scared. He knew he should have been, he knew they were in danger. But it was as if his mind had just shut down, and he could feel no emotion. All he could do was watch.

It was like how he had felt when he saw the two dead cats.

So there he was, being carried by the scruff in his mother's jaws, aware of the danger that chased them, but unable to do anything. Just watch. He saw his brother being carried by Mark, wide eyed and fur fluffed out. Victor saw upwalker dens speeding past him as his mother sprinted faster, he felt her ragged gasps on his neck. He turned his head and tried his best to look behind him, to see how close the BloodClan cats were.

Only a few taillengths behind. The leader of the group's eyes glowed with anticipation.

_Redscrap,_ Victor recalled his name_._ He turned forward again. They were off of the thunderpath now, and had crossed to the other side. They were back in the darkness of the alleys. Mark was now running with Hunter in front of Rose and Victor. Rose was starting to slow. She couldn't carry the weight of her kit much longer. Victor realized this and snapped out of his trance.

"I can run. I can keep up. You don't have to carry me, really." He told to his mother. She set him down while she ran and as soon as his paws met the ground he began to move his legs. Fueled by adrenaline and fear, he was able to keep up right behind his mother.

Up ahead, he could see a strange, metallic, web-like barrier. He'd seen a few before, blocking some of the other alleyways he'd passed with Hunter and Mark. He believed his father had called them 'fences', and they were made by upwalkers to keep things out. Unlike others, though, there was a hole in the bottom left corner of this one, just big enough for a cat to squeeze through. On the other side of the fence was a pile of upwalker waste leaning up against the right wall in black bags. Victor turned back to see how far the BloodClan cats were. Still a few taillengths, but falling farther behind. They might be able to get away.

Then Victor felt his paw hit something poking out of the ground, his paw twisted, and he sprawled onto the pavement.

* * *

Rose was only mouselengths from the opening in the fence. Mark and Hunter had already made their way through. She was almost there. But then she heard a faint mewling from behind. She looked back to see Victor, struggling to stand, his front right paw twisted at an odd angle. He could barely walk, and the BloodClan warriors were closing in on him. She stopped running.

"Rose!" Mark yowled through Hunter's fur. "We have to go! Leave him!" Rose stared back at Mark, shocked. How could he say that? He was their son! But... BloodClan was getting closer...

_No, _Rose thought._ If I'm quick enough... _Rose knew what she had to do.

She sprinted to her kit. She ignored Mark's pleas to turn back. This was it. She reached Victor just before the warriors did. She scooped him up in her jaws and made a u-turn back towards the fence. The BloodClan cats were almost there. She stopped when she got to the opening.

"Wha-" Victor started, but Rose tossed him through to the other side before he could finish. She realized she wouldn't be able to squeeze through in time. Instead, unsheathing her claws, Rose slid a paw through and cut open one of the waste bags near the fence opening. Trash came tumbling out. It set off a chain reaction, and suddenly all the bags came down, blocking the entrance.

"Rose!" Mark yowled, putting down Hunter. He ran past Victor, who sat on the ground dazed, and tried to climb over the bags back to the fence. He couldn't get a grip, and he slid back down. He could just see her ears over the bags and behind the wire fence, other cats approaching. "Rose! What have you done!?"

"They can't get to you now!" She called back. "Run! Take the kits and _go!_"

"I won't leave you!" He called back.

"We agreed that no matter the cost we'd flee." Rose mewed. "Well, the cost is your mate. Now just go!" The BloodClan cats had reached her now. Mark could see Redscap pounce. He couldn't see exactly what happened next, but he could hear enough to get a good picture. Yowling and caterwauling filled the air. Mark could smell blood. He started backing away slowly, breathing heavily. He shut his eyes and his entire body went stiff. Hunter was frozen in place behind him. Victor was standing next to Mark, emotionless and staring down the alley, just watching. Mark's eyes flew open suddenly, full of anger. He turned, bit down on Victor's scruff, and sprinted down the alley with the kit between his teeth, away from the fighting. Hunter paused, surprised, then followed.

The sound of battle faded as they ran farther and farther away. After what felt like hours, Mark finally stopped. It was night by then, the city covered in shadows. Mark halted as they turned into an alley with a dead-end. Victor squirmed in his jaws, Mark's sharp fangs clamped down hard on his scruff and breaking skin. Mark tossed the kit to the ground, and he went tumbling over and over. He tried to stand, but his paw was still twisted. He sat up, careful not to put any weight on his right paw. Mark looked at him, bristling.

"All your fault." He hissed. Victor stared back at him, eyes wide. "Because of you Rose had to turn back. Because of you, she had to sacrifice herself." Mark's voice grew louder with each word. Victor tried to back up, but his legs wouldn't work. Mark narrowed his eyes. "Why the hell would she save a runt like you? Why the _hell_ would she throw her life away for a kit who has been nothing but a burden?! _Why!?_" He paced back and forth, then stopped in front of the kit. His lips drew back in a snarl. He unsheathed his claws and raised a paw above his head. "All your fault!" He yowled, and he brought his paw down towards Victor.

"No!" Hunter yelled, just catching up and running towards Mark. But it was too late. Mark struck Victor, and the kit went skidding headfirst into one of the brick den walls. He went completely still. Hunter began making his way over to his brother. "Victor!" He called out desperately. No response. Mark stopped Hunter from getting any closer by blocking him with his tail.

"Leave him." Mark said. Hunter looked up at him, a mix of fear and shock in his eyes.

"But he's hurt!" He said. He took another step towards his littermate.

"_Leave. Him."_ Mark snarled. Hunter stopped immediately and cringed away from his father. "He's as good as dead. Doesn't matter now. Now come on." Mark started to leave. Hunter stayed where he was, looking at his brother's body. Limp and unmoving. Mark growled. "I said _come on!_" He pulled Hunter away by the scruff. Hunter kicked and writhed, trying to escape. But he knew it was no use. With a last look over his shoulder to Victor, he let himself be carried away by his father.

* * *

When Victor awoke, he was alone. His head was throbbing. When he tried to stand, he yelped in pain trying to put weight on his right paw._ What's going on?_ He wondered. Then it all came flooding back to him.

His mother was dead. His father abandoned him... and by the looks of it, Hunter too. And it was all his fault. _No..._ He thought._ It's not my fault... _

But if it wasn't his, then who's was it? _BloodClan. _He growled inwardly. _It was all because of them Rose died and Mark hates me. I'll make them pay... Once I'm strong enough, I'll show them all. _Limping, he made his way to the opening of the alley. He could smell his father and brother's scent going left. He went right._ Once I'm strong enough... I'll show them too. I'll get my revenge..._


	9. Chapter 8

Victor silently swept through the shadows of the alley, like he had done so many times before. His grey fur blended with the darkness of the night, his pale green eyes glowed dimly. It had been moons since he had been abandoned. His leg healed soon after the incident, he'd grown larger, and over time his pelt lost it's kit fluff. His claws, unsheathed, glinted in the moonlight. When he'd reached the corner, he stopped and sniffed at the air. He flicked his ears.

_Here._ He thought. _Right around this corner._ He peeked around, half closing his eyes so whoever was in the next alley wouldn't see them glow in the dim light. He spotted his targets. There were five cats, and each of them wore a similar collar studded with teeth and claws, besides a small ginger and white tom who wore a plain black collar. All of them stood in a line, blocking the way in and out of the next alley. _They're raising the number of cats on their patrols. _Victor observed._ There aren't too many cats for me to handle. But I should still be careful. _Victor watched them a bit longer_. _Suddenly one of the cats spoke.

"We've been sitting here a long time." Complained a grey and black spotted she-cat. "He's not gonna show up." She began to stand and turn to leave. A few other cats looked like they were about to follow. The ginger and white tom hissed and stepped in front of the darker cat to block her path.

"I didn't dismiss you, Coalspot!" The tom snarled. Although Coalspot was noticeably larger than the tom, her ears went down and she cringed away from him. "We're not leaving until we find this rogue!" He continued, the toms expression turning fierce. "He has killed seven noble BloodClan warriors, including our leader, in cold blood. No way in hell are we just gonna sit here and not do anything about it."

"Sorry, Smallclaw." She murmured, sitting back down. "But it really does _feel_ like we're not doing anything. I mean, we're just sitting here!" Smallclaw snorted.

"Oh, and what else do you suppose we do?" He asked. "We can't track him and we can't talk to him, so all we can really do is wait. He always comes back, and we can launch a surprise attack. Catch him off guard." A snicker came from around the corner, and the BloodClan cats all turned in surprise. A grey cat stepped out from the shadows.

"I'm afraid it's too late to catch me off guard." Victor sneered, baring his teeth. "But maybe you can make up for it with some of those fighting moves from your little _training_ _sessions_." He mocked. Smallclaw's eyes blazed. He stared at the grey cat, anger and hatred radiated from his pelt. But he didn't move.

"Get Roguescar." He hissed through clenched teeth to a tan warrior sitting beside him. "I think our leader would be pleased to be the one who teaches this cat a lesson." The brown cat turned and began trotting down the alley. "But tell him _I_ deal the killing blow!" Smallclaw called back. The tom glanced back in acknowledgement and kept running. Smallclaw glared at the grey cat, bristling. "You are really stupid, _rogue_. Just walking up to a patrol, in _our_ territory. You expect us to let you leave here alive?" Victor lashed his tail but didn't answer. Instead, he sat down and let his fur lie flat.

"You said you were bringing your leader?" He asked, monotone. "Funny. I could have sworn I killed him." Smallclaw unsheathed is claws and started to rake the pavement.

"You did." He hissed. "My mentor. But our deputy took over, and BloodClan is stronger than ever." Victor stretched and slowly stood back up again.

"Hm." He mumbled. "I think you're lying." Without warning he lunged at a nearby warrior. The tan warrior, caught by surprise, fell with a thud. Before he could get up Victor dug his claws into his pelt, feeling blood welling up beneath his pads. The warrior yowled in pain, but his cry was cut short as Victor leaned down and bit his neck. There was a snap, then silence. He stepped away from the warrior, now lying completely still. Blood was beginning to pool around him. "Doesn't seem very strong to me." Victor said. Smallclaw hissed.

"I'll _kill_ you!" He yowled. He advanced and motioned with his tail for his remaining two warriors to attack.

"You have to catch me first." Victor said tauntingly. He spun around and sprinted around the corner from where he'd come. Smallclaw and his warriors were quick to follow.

"Don't lose him!"

* * *

The tan warrior Smallclaw had sent back earlier to get their leader finally arrived in camp. Eyes peered at him anxiously from the shadows. He stopped when he'd reached the metallic waste bin in the middle of the alley, and a cat crept out from beneath it, the collar he wore studded with decaying dog teeth. He dipped his head to the approaching warrior, then realized he was alone. His amber eyes widened in alarm.

"Palepelt, where are the others?" He asked. Palepelt gasped, trying to catch his breath. More cats were gathering around him, straining to hear what he had to say.

"Roguescar! They... we... the rogue!" He managed to get out. A wave of shock swept through the crowd of cats, followed by anger. They began whispering to each other nervously."You... Smallclaw, he... wanted you to go..." Palepelt gasped. Roguescar nodded.

"Slow down! Now, where'd they go?" He pressed.

"Past... the Thunderpath..." Palepelt replied. Roguescar started to run past the Clan cats to the corner. "Wait!" Palepelt called. "Don't you... need back-up?" Roguescar looked back at the group of cats, all of them looking back at him expectantly.

"I won't put any more of my Clan mates in danger." He said. "You rest, Palepelt. The rest of you stay and keep guard of the camp. I'll be back before dusk." Before anyone could argue, their leader was off again around the corner. In no time he had made his way to the Thunderpath. He waited for an opening, then ran across to the other side.

_This place..._ he thought, studying the area. But then shook his head._ Better forgotten. Now where has that patrol gon- _He froze. In the next alley, a cat lay unmoving in a pool of his own blood. Roguescar recognized him as one of his senior warriors. _Damn! I'm late!_ He sniffed the air. He could smell the scent of his own warriors, still fresh, and something else as well... _The rogue! _He sprinted down the alley, following their scent.

_I'll kill that bastard!_

* * *

**Author's Note: This took way too long to write :/ Sorry 'bout that.**


	10. Chapter 9

_Alright_,_ time to lose these guys. _Victor thought, turning a corner. He stopped abruptly at a closed fence. _What?_ He pawed at it, trying to get it to swing open. _No way! It can't be closed! _He could hear paw steps behind him. He clawed desperately at the metallic web. _Come on! Come on! Come on!_ It was no use. It was stuck in place. Victor turned back around to run the other way, but was instead met face-to-face with Smallclaw.

"Going somewhere?" He growled, and lunged for the grey cat's neck. Victor dove to one side, missing the BloodClan cat's claws by a mouselength, but ended up running into another warrior. He was larger than Victor, and his muscles rippled beneath his black pelt. He brought his paw up to strike, but Victor was faster. Ducking down to avoid the blow, he propelled himself forward and bit down hard on the tom's leg. He yowled in pain and jumped backwards, shifting his weight off of his injury. Behind him, Victor felt powerful jaws close around his tail. Looking back he saw it was Smallclaw, and he kicked out with his back legs, hitting the warrior square in the face. While Smallclaw sat dazed, Victor ran past them and around the corner.

Smallclaw shook his head, his vision clearing. Coalspot sat taillengths away, her eyes wide and fur bristling.

"Why didn't you do anything?" Smallclaw snarled angrily. Coalspot was silent. Smallclaw looked to the black tom, licking his paw. "Shadefur, you good?" He asked. The black tom nodded and stood. Smallclaw sat up. "Let's go before he gets too far." He ordered. All three of them went sprinting the way Victor had gone.

* * *

_I just have to circle back around, _Victor thought._ I can take the long way, I just have to stay ahead of them._ He ran as fast as he could, but he was quickly losing energy. He heard the the patrol getting closer. _Twelve paws... moving fast... no, wait... sixteen paws? That can't be right..._ _but... _Somebody was approaching in front of him as well._ Well let's get this over with quick!_ Unsheathing his claws, Victor sped up, despite his legs cramping up. Whoever it was were getting close. Right around the corner._ Alright, buddy, let's see what you got!_

And he launched himself into the next alley.

* * *

Roguescar panted, his lungs on fire. _How long have I been running? Where is this? _He wondered, taking in his surroundings. He had followed the scent of his patrol and the rogue far from his territory. This side of the city was quieter, dens were boarded up, streets empty. Not even the sound of prey scuttling through the alleys. It seemed unnatural._ This place is_ _dead_... Roguescar thought. _Wait... what's that sound...?_ A strange, rhythmic patting sounded not too far away. _Can it be rain? No... It's too big to be prey... what could it be?_

Too late Roguescar realized they were paw steps.

As he turned the corner, a heavy weight slammed into him. He tumbled to the ground, stunned. He heard a hiss, and looked up behind him to see a dark figure looming over him. Roguescar wasted no time and was soon back on his paws, still gasping for breath. He recognized the other cat's scent. It smelled like smoke and waste and blood... and something else that seemed familiar... It was the rogue's. Roguescar whirled around, teeth bared and claws unsheathed, to face his attacker.

But he froze in place as he gazed into the other cat's familiar pale green eyes.

"V-Victor?"

* * *

Victor stared at the brown tom before him, not quite processing what he was seeing. The cat was wearing a collar, studded with teeth and claws. A long, thick scar ran down his left flank. And he was much, much larger. But there was no mistaking who it was. The brown pelt and amber eyes were still as Victor remembered.

"Hunter?" Victor whispered, his voice barely audible. The brown tom just stared at him for a few seconds, and Victor began to doubt himself. But then the cat nodded.

"Yes, but I... go by a different name now." The brown tom said. "Victor... you're..." Just then the patrol entered the alley, Smallclaw leading. They came to an abrupt stop between the two cats, all panting.

"Roguescar." Smallclaw greeted, dipping his head. "It's good you're finally here. Now let's kill this rogue while we have him surrounded!" Victor's eyes widened, more out of shock than fear. He looked at the brown tom.

"_Roguescar?_" Victor said in disbelief. "What the hell are they talking about, Hunter?" Hunter- or, Roguescar- bristled.

"I am a loyal BloodClan warrior." He hissed. "I rejected my loner name a long time ago." Anger radiated from Victor's pelt. He widened his stance and unsheathed his claws again.

"After all that BloodClan has done, you have the nerve to _join_ them?" Victor snarled. "You _joined_ a pack of _murderers and thieves_? How could you!?" The grey tom started scraping the pavement with his claws.

"BloodClan has done nothing wrong!" Roguescar growled defensively. "The only murderer I see here is _you!_ Killing innocent cats, and for what?!" Victor moved closer to the BloodClan leader, only whiskerlengths from his face.

"Have you forgotten about Rose?" He hissed. "How they killed her? Forced you to flee from your _home?_" Roguescar didn't back down, and instead moved even closer, looking directly into Victor's eyes.

"They needed the territory more than we did." He whispered, an edge in his voice.

"And Rose? What about her?" Victor meowed. Roguescar just shook his head.

"I was a kit. How could I possibly remember that?" He growled. " But BloodClan isn't a savage Clan anymore! You have no right to kill any of our warriors!" Victor flattened his ears.

"I have every right!" He snarled. "I won't let them get away with what they've done! I won't let you get away with what _you've_ done! You _traitor!_" Hunter's eyes narrowed.

"You sound just like him." He whispered. "You... you _are_ just like him..."

"What?" Victor asked, confused.

"Mark." Roguescar said. Victor bristled at the name.

"Don't you say that." He hissed. "Don't you _dare_ say that."

"But it's true." Roguescar said. "You're just like him."

"I am _nothing_ like him!" Victor yowled, lips pulled back revealing rows of sharp white teeth. Roguescar lashed his tail.

"Maybe you're right," he snarled. "You're worse!" The anger and hatred filling Victor suddenly disappeared, and was replaced by a feeling he'd felt only a few times before. It was as if he wasn't himself, he had no control. He was watching everything from his point of view, but that's all he could do. Just watch.

He watched his paw, claws unsheathed, rise above his head.

He watched as Smallclaw, who had stood silently watching the entire time, suddenly ran towards him, but it was too late.

He watched his paw come down, and slice across his brother's neck.


	11. Chapter 10

_What did I do? Why did I do it? _

"Kill him!"

_What did I do? Why did I do it?_

"You bastard!"

_What have I done? Why did I...?_

Victor's vision was blurry. He barely knew where he was, and he had no idea where he was going. He couldn't feel his legs, but he knew they were moving. Not fast enough by the sound of angry yowling right behind him.

"I'll rip your throat open!" Smallclaw snarled. Victor didn't have to look back to know that he was gaining on him. If he didn't find an escape route fast, he'd have to face the patrol. And he knew he was too weak to fight.

_Think, think! Where can I lose them? If I could just find another entrance to the sewers-_ He turned a corner. A wooden fence blocked the other side. It was about four times his size, and there were no holes or gaps large enough for him to fit through._ Uh-oh._ Victor thought, but kept running towards it._ This is gonna hurt._ When he was a few taillengths away, he shifted his weight to his back legs. In one giant leap, he made his way almost to the top, digging his claws into the wood. His muscles ached from holding up his weight.

"Climb!" Victor heard Smallclaw order his patrol from below. Victor was over the fence in a heartbeat. He jumped down to the ground, expecting to land on cold concrete. Instead, he felt something soft under his paws. He looked down.

_Grass?_ He thought, confused._ That's strange.._._ The only place I'd had ever really seen grass grow was in small cracks in the pavement..._ He looked around and gasped.

No upwalker dens.

No streets.

Only grass hills, and some kind of giant rock formation beyond.

Without the large brick walls crowding him, Victor felt strange... like a giant weight had been taken off his mind, and he was free. The sun was setting over the huge stones in the distance, turning the cloudless sky a dark red.

He gazed in awe at such a breathtaking sight.

"Get him!"

And then he was brought back to reality. Immediately he started sprinting forward, not caring to look back at how close his pursuers were. He needed a place to hide. He couldn't keep running.

_Gah! It's all just an open field! There's nowhere to-_ He turned his head and spotted something different. Not too far off, it seemed as if a slice had been taken out of the hill. Stones lay scattered about, and there was a large indentation in the rock wall.

_Perfect._ Using the last of his energy, Victor sprinted towards it. He hesitated at the opening, staring into the dark abyss, wondering if it was safe. But he decided it didn't really matter, he needed to hide, and dashed inside. He couldn't see anything and slowed his pace, letting his whiskers brush against the stone walls and his pawsteps drag as not to run into anything. As he descended, the air started to feel cooler. The walls curved outwards, forming a circle, and he knew he was at the end. A dim light came through the ceiling, barely illuminating the shapes of the rocks surrounding him. He stopped behind a large stone and crouched down, making himself as small as he could, and waited.

Victor heard them enter, shuffling inside. Their pawsteps echoed towards him, they were moving fast... and carelessly running into things. He heard them stumbling and tripping constantly, cursing as they did so. Soon the sound of their movements got fainter and fainter, until he couldn't hear them anymore. Although he was sure they were gone, Victor kept still a while longer. The dim light faded, and he was then surrounded by complete and utter darkness.

That is, until a small beam of moonlight came through the roof. The light reflected off the rock Victor was crouching behind, and it glowed a bright blue. Victor jumped back in surprise as he heard somebody whisper softly. Looking around, though, he was alone. _I must be losing my mind._

"Go to it." He heard the whisper again. "Go to it." Victor froze, his eyes widening. He knew he wasn't imagining it. He stared at the bright stone, and felt compelled to walk towards it.

"Go to it. Please."

Cautiously, Victor approached the stone, and lowered his head.

"Please."

Victor blinked, then touched his nose to the cold surface. A tingling sensation ran through him, and he passed out instantly.

* * *

**Author's Note: Short chapter is short. And rushed. And I haven't updated in a while. Sorry. There's a lot going on right now. I'll try and write more sooner, but lately I really haven't been as active on the internet as I used to be, so... yeah. But although I may not write for long periods of time, I don't leave stories unfinished.**


	12. Chapter 11

Victor opened his mouth to yowl, but no sound came out. He squinted, not able to fully open his eyes through the wind. Everything around him was blurry and dark, and he was just able to make out small, glowing specks of light whirling around him. He could feel himself being lifted higher and higher, and could no longer feel the ground beneath his paws.

"Welcome." Whispered the voice he'd heard back in the cave. Suddenly Victor felt soft grass beneath his pads, and the wind had stop. He opened his eyes and gaped as he looked around.

He was no longer in the cave, instead he was back in the field. At least, it looked a bit like it. However, it was darker than the real field... the grass a dark blueish black, small specks of silver light scattered around the floor. The glowing stone from the cave appeared to have moved with him, and was now right in front of him in the wide open field. And it seemed that the field stretched on forever, no sign of the city to mark its end. The sky was completely dark.

"Will you stand?"

Victor jumped up at the strange voice speaking so close to his ear. He spun around to face its owner, anxiety making his pelt bristle. The other cat was a large tom, with piercing yellow eyes and short, light fur. Victor couldn't pinpoint exactly what color, because like his surroundings, the cat was tinged a dark blue, silver outlining his shape. More specks of light sparkled within his almost see-through pelt. Victor was not prepared to see such a strange cat.

"W-who are you?" Victor asked. "_What_ are you? What do you want?" The other cat studied Victor, then sighed.

"Follow me." He said, and began padding away.

"Why?" Victor called out, but the tom ignored him and kept going. Seeing no other option, Victor reluctantly followed. He caught up to the other cat and walked beside him. "You still haven't answered me. Who are you? Where am I?" The stranger blinked.

"I am Chillheart." He said. "You are in what once was StarClan, a place for dead Clan cats." Victors eye's widened.

"I'm _dead__!?_" He exclaimed. Chillheart rolled his eyes.

"Mouse-brain," he mumbled. "Yeah, that's right, we just let some random loner with no relation to us join the ranks of StarClan. As if!" Victor flicked his ears, irritated, and narrowed his eyes.

"All right, smart-ass," He hissed. "Then why _did_ you bring me here? What do you want from me?" Chillheart motioned his tail beyond them.

"Come on and I'll show you." He picked up the pace, and Victor matched it. Soon he saw what they were running towards: A large, dark space in the ground, with a dark mist swirling inside it. When they had reached its edge, Chillheart stopped. "Look into it."

"Why?"

"Just do it."

"I'm not sure I trust y-"

"Shut up and look already!" Chillheart growled impatiently. Victor mumbled something under his breath too low for the other cat to hear, and turned his gaze to the abyss.

His eyes widened as he stared into the darkness and it transformed into an image of a cat. It began to move.

"What the hell!?" Victor yelped, jumping back. Chillheart shushed him and motioned him back with his tail.

"These are... memories." He explained. "Of the Clans. Please, watch." Victor looked at the larger cat, his gaze questioning. For a moment he thought about turning back... but there wasn't much he had left to go back to. He stepped forward and watched the moving mist. Chillheart described what was happening as they went on.

"Many cats, from a number of places, came to live here. What you know now to be Twolegplace- uh, the city- used to have large , rolling hills, a river, a forest, and a swamp where cats could live and hunt. But there were constant battles over territory and food. After a particularly gruesome battle, five cats- Sky, River, Thunder, Shadow, and Wind," Chillheart listed as each cat appeared. "Decided it would be best to lead five seperate groups and divide up the territory equally. They put cats into Clans based on their abilities; One half of the forest belonged to ThunderClan, the other half SkyClan, the river to RiverClan, the moors to WindClan, and the marsh to ShadowClan. In order to keep things orderly, they formed a set of rules that all Clan cats lived by- the Warrior Code. Life was, for the most part, peaceful for many moons. Although Clans still battled, they were not as bad as they had been before the Clans.

"However, we soon had to leave the forest. SkyClan had left many moons before the other four Clans, and had already found another home. The other Clans were forced out of the forest moons and moons later by twolegs, who basically started destroying the land, uprooting trees and scaring off prey. Even the river dried up." There was a final image of the cats fleeing into the mountains, and then the mist faded back to black. Victor turned to Chillheart.

"What happened to them?" Victor asked. Chillheart sighed.

"They found a new home." He said. "And thrived for quite some time." He took a few steps back, and looked in the direction of the mountains. "But things change."

"Why are you telling me this?" Victor questioned. "What do I have to do with any of this?" Chillheart looked at him right in the eyes.

"The Clans are in trouble." He said. "And we need your help." Victor tilted his head.

"_My_ help?" He scoffed. "You can't find _anybody _else? It _has _to be_ me_? You said it yourself, I'm just some random loner. Why not find a Clan cat?"

"We just can't." Chillheart said. "Not anymore. Long ago, the Clans used to look to their ancestors for guidance, they used to speak to us for wisdom. But they have long since forgotten about us. They stopped visiting us, and soon forgot we even existed. We try to talk to them, but it's as if there's a barrier that keeps us away. It's been so long that... many cats of StarClan have faded away to nothing. Only three, including myself, still remain."

"So what?" Victor said. "They don't need their ancestors to tell them what to do anymore. I'd call that progress."

"Mousebrain!" Chillheart cursed. "They need to learn from us, the history of the Clans, all the mistakes they've ever made so we don't make them again! You haven't seen the shape they're in... it's anarchy!"

"Hm. Didn't think of it that way." Victor tilted his head. "Why did you travel all the way here?"

"I came here because that glowing stone, the one that brought you here, was a former way for cats to contact StarClan. I've been waiting moons for a cat to come... and now here you are." Chillheart's gaze was pleading. "I may not get another chance like this. I know I'm asking a lot... I don't know what you might be leaving behind, who you might be leaving, but... please. Will you follow me, take a journey to the Clans, and help us reform them? You're the only one who is able to communicate with us and them, and can bridge the gap between our two worlds. Will you?"

Victor stared at him, expressionless. Without hesitating, he answered him.

"No."

* * *

**Author's Note: This took way longer than it should have; I ended up writing a 1500 word chapter, deleted more than half of it, and rewrote it again. -_- Hoorah.**


	13. Chapter 12

Chillheart nodded. "I respect your decision. But, may I ask, why it is exactly you choose to decline?" Victor stretched and started licking his paw.

"Simple." He said. "I do not believe the Clans have anything to offer me. Constant battling, struggling for food, and fighting off infections and sicknesses? No thank you." Chillheart flicked his ears.

"That's not entirely true." He meowed. "We can offer you shelter, teach you fighting techniques," Victor tilted his head thoughtfully at this, but the StarClan cat didn't seem to notice. "And our ways of hunting, and how to find herbs... we can teach you much that can help you." Victor let out a breath.

"I'm still uneasy." He sighed. "What lies beyond those mountains, I cannot be sure what I'd have to deal with. It may not even be possible to help your Clans at this point. And... well, my home..."

"I understand." Chillheart replied. "You have every right not to trust me. And I suppose you should stay here and look after your family." A wave of sadness and grief crashed over Victor as images of his mother and brother came to mind.

"I don't have any family." Victor said quietly. "I'm a loner." Chillheart tilted his head.

"Then what do you have to lose?" He asked. "This could be a fresh start for you. A new beginning." Victor contemplated this. It was true, he really didn't have anything to lose... except for his life, but did that really matter? And there was no way he could stay in the city. The news of Roguescar's/Hunter's death would have surly reached BloodClan by then, and they'd all be searching for him. Plus, even if he couldn't save the Clans, maybe he could find some other cat who could, and finally settle down.

Victor had been thinking to himself for a while, and Chillheart suddenly broke the silence.

"Perhaps you need more time to think about it." He said. "I'll send you back to the Moonstone, though you may still be asleep for a while. When you wake, I will come for your answer." Before Victor could speak up, he was sent spiraling out of StarClan. Everything was a blur.

_Oh, no... _Victor thought as a familiar darkness clouded his vision._ This again..._

* * *

_Victor sprints up a rocky slope, one eye swelled shut and a long gash running along his neck, bleeding profusely. His pelt is darker than normal, and his body larger and more muscular, as if it isn't his. Cats chase him as he runs, he can hear their thundering paw steps just taillengths behind him. He's not exactly sure what he has done to make them so angry, just that what it was must have been something very, very bad._

_ He makes a giant leap to the top of a large rock at the top of the slope, clawing his way up. The other cats try to mimic him, but are not strong enough to make it all the way up. He's safe._

_At least he thinks._

_There is a cat already on the cliff with him, an old she-cat with a mottled grey pelt. They sit in silence staring at each other, her amber eyes looking right through him. The sound of angry yowls echos below them. Victor can feel himself speak, but it is not his voice. It is deeper, gruffer... and oddly familiar, though he cannot place it._

_"I do not regret what I have done." He growls. "There is no place in this world for weakness." The other cat doesn't blink, but steps closer to Victor until they are face to face._

_"A curse on you." She hisses. "A curse!"_

_Everything suddenly fades to black, and deathly quiet._

_The voice of the old she-cat still whispers just barely audible for Victor to hear. _

_"Blood spilling blood spilling blood spilling blood,_

_Your own shall be your own's downfall,_

_There shall be no end to your crimson red flood,_

_Unless a champion of blood hears the call..."_

_Her voice trails off and Victor is unable to hear the rest, but he knows it's important. The sounds of yowling returns, this time not of anger, but pain. They continue to grow louder and louder, until there is a final, high screech._

_Then the dream ends._

* * *

Victor awoke, still in the cave, blinking the sleep from his eyes. He grumbled to himself.

"I hate that dream..."

"What dream?"

Victor shot up in surprise, slamming straight into the rock wall behind him and sending a shower of dirt and debris down from the ceiling. He looked around, eyes still adjusting to the darkness. Nobody was there.

"You okay?" Victor now recognized Chillheart's voice, but looking around he was nowhere to be found.

"Where are you?" He called out, his voice echoing off the walls.

"I'm right here." Chillheart said, just beside Victor. "You won't be able to see me unless your dreaming. But if you visit me a talk with me long enough, I will appear more visible over time. That is if you've decided to...?" Victor nodded. "Excellent! Do you need anything before we leave?"

"No, I'm fine." Victor replied. He stretched, and started making his way out of the cave. The sound of paw steps followed close behind him. "So, how long exactly is the journey?"

"Three moons, if we hurry." Chillheart said. "And there's a place we can stop at in the mountains. While we travel, I can teach you a bit more about the Clans, as well."

"Sounds good." Victor stepped out of the mouth of the cave, and squinted in the bright sunlight. He could see the city not too far away, the sound of monsters and upwalkers faint._ This is the last time I'm ever going to see it._ He thought. _Hm... Good riddance. I'm happy to put all this behind me.__  
_

"So, " Chillheart meowed. "Do you ever plan on going back?" Victor shook his head.

"There's... nothing really for me to go back to." He sighed. "I've never had a permanent home either."

"Well, that just might change." Chillheart said hopefully. "I'm sure one of the Clans can take you in." Victor nodded, but didn't really believe him. "Alright, then..." Chillheart continued. "Let's go!"

* * *

**Author's Note: Summer time, yeeeah. More time to waste on the internet! Joy, joy, joy...  
**


	14. Chapter 13

Smallclaw growled, looking down at his paws as his claws slid in and out over and over. Coalspot and Shadefur both sat awkwardly a few taillengths away, watching the deputy nervously. The patrol had retreated from the cave and back through the field, stopping when they were back in the city on the other side of the fence. Smallclaw hadn't said a word since they stopped, just stared down at his paws bristling.

"This isn't good..." Coalspot whispered. "You know how impulsive and violent he gets when he's angry..." Shadefur nodded, his gaze fixed worriedly on the ginger and white tom.

"Roguescar's not even here to calm him down..." Shadefur said. "Remember what happened last time? And he was only an apprentice..."

"We don't know for sure if he really did that to the patrol and rogue..."

"Nobody else there was alive! In my opinion we should have executed him the minute he-"

The two BloodClan cats became silent as Smallclaw suddenly stopped sheathing and unsheathing his claws and began stalking towards them.

"Let's go." He said, half growling. "The sooner we get back to camp the better. We need to have a proper send-off for Roguescar, and the Clan is probably worried about us." He walked past the two warriors, his tail down and his pace slow. Coalspot and Shadefur hesitantly followed.

"Yes, Smallclaw." Shadefur said. Smallclaw shook his head and half turned to look back at Shadefur. Shadefur could see a layer of cold, emptiness in his eyes... and something burning beneath it that he couldn't place.

"It's not Smallclaw anymore." He said, then continued forward.

"Smallscar now?" Coalspot asked. "Since, you are our leader now..." To the she-cats surprise he stopped. After a long pause, the warrior spoke.

"No." He hissed. "I am not like the other leaders. I don't need a name to signify my power. I do not need teeth and claws to be spiked through my collar to prove I am a strong hunter and fighter. One look into my eyes is all it takes for a cat to see all of that." He whirled around to face the warriors, Coalspot flinched and Shadefur gasped in surprise. The cold, vacant look in the BloodClan leader's eyes was gone, replaced by a fierce, raging glare. "And by the way, Shadefur. No, I didn't kill them. At least not all of them." Suddenly he lashed out, claws unsheathed, and caught Shadefur right in the eye. The black warrior yowled in pain.

"Fuck!" He called out, reaching up with his paw to cover his injured eye. Coalspot rushed over to help him as he squirmed on the ground.

"And I heard what you said about executing me." The leader snarled. "Be lucky I don't execute you for that remark. Now let's go, and don't lag behind or keep me waiting, or both of you will lose more than an eye."

* * *

_**Author's Note:**_** I haven't updated in forever, the chapter is as short as my attention span, and it's incredibly rushed and horrible and blah blah blah excuses. This summer is far from a vacation for me, so I don't have much time to write. Sorry to anyone still reading. But I won't stop writing this thing. I kind of made a deal with myself I wouldn't, sooo... stay tuned.**


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